UTC & Campus Plaza (Walking Distance, Good for Lunch):
- Luna Grill · $$ · Mediterranean
- Mendocino Farms · $$ · Sandwiches, Salads
- In N Out · $ · Burgers & Fries
- Blaze Pizza · $ · Build-Your-Own Pizza
- Gogi Grill · $ · Korean Chipotle
- Northern Cafe · $$ · pretty authentic Chinese
- MAD Dumplings · $ · Asian fusion
- Sgt. Pepperoni’s Pizza · $$ · Pizza, Beer
- Yupdduk · $$ · Korean spicy street food
- Saffron and Rose · $ · Persian ice cream
- Hen House Grill · $$ · Persian
- Le Diplomate Cafe · $ · Sandwiches
- Tender Greens · $$ · Fast-casual health food
- Iro Sushi Stuff X Roll · $$ · Sushi, Inari
Nearby (<15 minutes by car):
- Bear Flag Fish · $$ · Seafood
- Panini Kebab Grill · $$ · Mediterranean
- Bouillon · $$$ · French Bistro
- Moulin Newport Beach Café · $$ · French Cafe & Bakery
- Kitakata Ramen Bannai · $$ · Kitakata-style Ramen
(There is a closer one in Costa Mesa, but the one in Fountain Valley is larger and easier to park at.) - Meiji Seimen · $$ · Japanese, specializing in house-made udon
(Joining waitlist through Yelp recommended.) - Cucina Enoteca Newport Beach · $$$ · Italian/American/Wine Shop
(At Fashion Island Outdoor Mall. Day-of reservations through Yelp recommended.) - Folks Pizzeria · $$$ · Pizza; Sit-Down Place; Natural Wine
(Day-of reservations through Yelp recommended.) - Din Tai Fung · $$$ · Taiwanese, Soup Dumplings
(Located inside of South Coast Plaza.) - Gen · $$$ · Korean Barbecue
- Yuk Dae Jang · $$ · Korean
(Highly recommend the Pork Belly “Premium Bossam Boiled in Various Herbs”; meant to be shared.) - Thai Cafe · $$ · Thai
(Family-sized portions.) - Hanuman Thai Eatery · $$$ · Thai
- HiroNori Craft Ramen · $$ · Ramen
(No reservations, Yelp waitlist only.) - Pho Ba Co · $$ · Vietnamese
- Assal Pastry · $$ · Middle Eastern bakery
Laguna Beach:
- 242 Cafe Fusion Sushi · $$ · Sushi
- Rasta Taco Laguna Beach · $$ · Mexican
- Las Brisas · $$$ · Southern California cuisine
- The Cliff Restaurant · $$ · American, seafood
Superfancy (require reservations a month in advance):
- Taco Maria (Michelin Star) · $$$ · Californian-Mexican
- Marche’ Moderne · $$$$ · French
Other Recommendations (>15 minutes by car):
- Sichuan Impression · $$$ · Authentic Sichuan Cuisine; Spicy!
- Alebrijes Grill · $ · Taco Truck
(Please be aware this is a taco truck, so there is no seating!) - Miyabu Shabu · $$$ · Japanese Hotpot & Barbeque
- Quan Mii · $$ · Central Vietnamese cuisine
- Momoyama · $$$$ · Omakase sushi
- Tan Cang Newport Seafood · $$$ · Southeast Asian seafood
(Not to be confused with the Newport Seafood in LA county.) - Farmhouse at Roger’s Gardens · $$ · American